Charles Darrell (29 June 1859 – 25 March 1932) was an English playwright who specialized in

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

Early life

Darrell was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Selected works

His plays include: *''When London Sleeps'': Charles Holloway's production at

Theatre Royal, Melbourne The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...

in 1898; basis of the 1932 film ''

When London Sleeps ''When London Sleeps'' is a 1932 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Harold French, Francis L. Sullivan, Diana Beaumont and René Ray. It was filmed at Twickenham Studios in west London. It was based on a play by Char ...

'' *''The Power and the Glory'' (1898); first Australian performance in 1899 *''Defender of the Faith''; first Australian production 1900 *''Her Luck in London'' (1905); first Australian production 1906; basis of the 1914 film ''

Her Luck in London ''Her Luck in London'' is a 1914 British silent drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring A. V. Bramble, Fred Groves and M. Gray Murray. It was based on a play of the same name by Charles Darrell. The film follows a naive country girl ...

'' *''What a Man Made Her'' (1909) *''A Girl's Good Luck'' (1912) *''In A Man's Grip'' (1913) *''The Millionaire and the Woman'' (1916) *''Should a Wife Refuse?'' (1917) *''Tommy's French Wife'' (1918) *''A Girl in the Web'' (1919) *''From Shopgirl to Duchess''; first Australian production 1909; basis of the 1917 film ''

From Shopgirl to Duchess ''From Shopgirl to Duchess'' is a 1915 British silent drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring A. V. Bramble, Gertrude Evans and Fred Groves. Cast * A. V. Bramble - Gilbert Spate * Gertrude Evans - Lady Delamere * Fred Groves - Duke ...

'' *''The Girl Who Knew a Bit''; Australian rights purchased by

William Anderson William Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * William Anderson (artist) (1757–1837), painter of marine and historical paintings * William Anderson (theatre) (1868–1940), Australian stage entrepreneur * William Anderson (1911–1986), ...

1911. *''The Idol of Paris'', basis of the 1914 film ''

The Idol of Paris ''Idol of Paris'' is a 1948 film based on the novel ''Paiva, Queen of Love'' by Alfred Schirokauer, about a mid-19th century French courtesan Theresa who sleeps her way from poverty to the top of Second Empire society. It was an attempt by its ...

'', was also the English title of

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

's autobiography. *''White as a Lily?''; first Australian production 1913 *''When Paris Sleeps'' (1913), first Australia production 1920; basis of the 1917 film '' When Paris Sleeps''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darrell, Charles 1859 births 1932 deaths 19th-century English dramatists and playwrights